Van Der Beek on Power/Rangers: "It's Why We Got Into This Business"

Actor James Van Der Beek has opened up on why he got involved with Power/Rangers, the fan film that took the internet by storm last week.

Speaking to THR, Van Der Beek said he jumped at the chance to work with producer Adi Shankar, who approached him for the project, and director Joseph Kahn, who Van Der Beek describes as "a crazy visionary".

"I really wanted to follow him on this journey of creating something that was completely his own and we just did it to give it away for free to fans," said Van Der Beek.

The actor reaffirmed the short film was a passion project above all else.

"It's the essence of why we all got in the business: Let’s make something cool."

Shankar's short shook the classic '90s series up, placing it firmly in step with the current trend of the dark and the gritty. Copyright complaints briefly saw it yanked from YouTube and Vimeo; it has since been restored. Check out our Rewind Theater on the short below.